Université Paris Cité, CNRS, BABEL UMR 8045, 75012, Paris, France.
IsoTROPIC Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, 07745, Jena, Germany.
Sci Rep. 2023 Sep 27;13(1):16165. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-43011-2.
Secure environmental contexts are crucial for hominin interpretation and comparison. The discovery of a Denisovan individual and associated fauna at Tam Ngu Hao 2 (Cobra) Cave, Laos, dating back to 164-131 ka, allows for environmental comparisons between this (sub)tropical site and the Palearctic Denisovan sites of Denisova Cave (Russia) and Baishiya Karst Cave (China). Denisovans from northern latitudes foraged in a mix of forested and open landscapes, including tundra and steppe. Using stable isotope values from the Cobra Cave assemblage, we demonstrate that, despite the presence of nearby canopy forests, the Denisovan individual from Cobra Cave primarily consumed plants and/or animals from open forests and savannah. Using faunal evidence and proxy indicators of climates, results herein highlight a local expansion of rainforest at ~ 130 ka, raising questions about how Denisovans responded to this local climate change. Comparing the diet and habitat of the archaic hominin from Cobra Cave with those of early Homo sapiens from Tam Pà Ling Cave (46-43 ka), Laos, it appears that only our species was able to exploit rainforest resources.
安全的环境背景对于人类的解释和比较至关重要。在老挝的 Tam Ngu Hao 2（眼镜蛇）洞穴中发现了一个丹尼索万人个体和相关动物群，其年代可追溯到 164-131ka，这使得我们能够对这个（亚热带）地点与丹尼索瓦洞穴（俄罗斯）和百色喀斯特洞穴（中国）的古北温带丹尼索瓦遗址进行环境比较。来自高纬度地区的丹尼索瓦人在森林和开阔的景观中觅食，包括苔原和草原。我们利用眼镜蛇洞穴组合的稳定同位素值，证明尽管附近有树冠森林，但来自眼镜蛇洞穴的丹尼索瓦个体主要食用来自开阔森林和稀树草原的植物和/或动物。利用动物群证据和气候替代指标，本文的结果突出显示了约 130ka 时雨林的局部扩张，这引发了关于丹尼索瓦人如何应对这种局部气候变化的问题。将眼镜蛇洞穴中古老人类的饮食和栖息地与来自老挝的 Tam Pà Ling 洞穴（46-43ka）的早期智人进行比较，似乎只有我们的物种能够利用热带雨林资源。
